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Officials mark Cape May-Lewes ferry anniversary with brick sale

As part of the 50th anniversary of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, the Delaware River & Bay Authority is selling commemorative bricks that will be at the ferry’s terminals in Delaware or New Jersey.(Photo: ROBERT CRAIG/THE NEWS JOURNAL)Buy Photo

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As part of the 50th anniversary of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, the Delaware River & Bay Authority is offering commemorative bricks expected to stay in place through the 100th anniversary and beyond.

The bistate agency is taking orders for the bricks through April 21.

"This is an exciting way for the community to both celebrate and contribute to the history of the ferry," Heath Gehrke, director of ferry operations, said in a statement. "With the commemorative brick program, our fans now have a special way to become a part of history and put their own stamp on the 50th Anniversary of the service."

The goal is to involve people, not raise money, Gehrke said, so "the cost of a brick was kept low to keep them affordable."

A standard 4-inch-by-8-inch brick goes for $50 and may be engraved with up to three lines of text, up to 20 characters – counting punctuation and spaces – per line.

Families and other fans also may buy replicas of the bricks they order for $50 or "mini-brick" versions for $15 each.

The bricks will be installed this spring at designated areas of the terminals at both ends of the ferry run, with a ceremony being planned for late June.

To order bricks or get more information about the commemorative brick program, visit www.cmlf.com or call (800) 64 FERRY.

If any money from the brick sale is left after their installation, those funds will go toward public celebrations of the ferry's anniversary, DRBA officials said. They also plan displays at both terminals of photographs and memorabilia lent or given by members of the public.

The first ferry left the Lewes terminal at 6:47 a.m. on July 1, 1964, carrying eight vehicles and fifteen passengers. Since then, the ferry has carried more than 43 million people and 14 million vehicles across the Delaware Bay.

Last year, the ferry carried nearly 1 million passengers and transported about 275,000 vehicles.